Federal Agriculture Minister Rainer presents "Heimatagenda" in Golzow

Bendkämper pointed out that it is above all young women who are leaving rural areas: "In der Hauptsache verlassen junge Frauen die ländlichen Räume. Fehlende Bildungschancen und eine fehlende Vereinbarkeit von Familie, Beruf und Ehrenamt sind die Ursache dafür." She spoke out in favor of more strongly supporting volunteer engagement in the regions, for instance by having paid positions complement volunteers.

Infrastructure in Golzow

In Golzow, a district of Chorin in the Barnim district, the infrastructure question becomes especially visible. The village has no bakery, no newsstand, and no supermarket; the nearest medical practices are several kilometers away in Britz or Joachimsthal. The village is served only by a request stop on the Schorfheidebahn (Schorfheide Railway).

Rainer referred to a recent district administrator election in which the victorious candidate Daniel Kurth (SPD) received "knapp 50 Prozent der Wähler," while "gut 49 Prozent" voted for the opposing AfD candidate. Against this backdrop, the minister sharply distanced himself from the AfD: "Das Geschäftsmodell der AfD ist doch, ständig Neid zu verbreiten, Angst zu schüren und schlechte Stimmung zu machen."

Dialogue Formats and New Federal Award

At the same time, he called for more confidence: "Wir brauchen wieder gemeinsame Ziele, Wertschöpfung und Optimismus. Wir brauchen mehr Mutmacher, nicht immer nur Miesmacher." Heimat is "immer am stärksten, wenn die Menschen ganz konkret erleben, dass sie die Dinge so gestalten können, wie sie sie auch brauchen." Politics must be tangible especially in turbulent times: "Die Distanz muss weg zwischen Politik und Bürgern, gerade in bewegten Zeiten muss die Politik auch greifbar sein."

Specifically, "Heimat-Dialoge" (homeland dialogues) are to take place locally starting this year, and a new "Bundespreis Heimat" (Federal Heimat Award) is to honor people and initiatives engaged in fostering cohesion. A "Heimatreport" (homeland report) is also planned, to be published later this year based on a representative survey, comparing cities and rural areas.

Programmatic Distancing from the AfD

According to the ministry, 57 percent of people in Germany live in rural regions; these regions also generate nearly half of the gross domestic product. The ministry wants to take a closer look at everyday life on the ground and thereby strengthen the sense of Heimat in villages like Golzow as well as in cities.

Rainer stressed that Heimat belongs to "denen, die sich um das Miteinander kümmern, nicht denen, die das Gegeneinander organisieren." At the same time, he announced: "Wir wollen vor Ort mehr Freiräume schaffen, unnötige Bürokratie abbauen und Entscheidungen dort ermöglichen, wo sie wirken."